Baby mummies haven’t been on display at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum since the 1950’s. For many, the sight of a mummified child is too much to bear, and this has resulted in these children being buried for decades in the vaults of the ROM. I would encourage you to watch this video featuring Gayle Gibson, a teacher and Egyptologist at the museum. She explains why the museum has placed the children back on display and gives a brief overview of egyptian burial rites and customs. Very respectful and interesting piece.

I’ve seen a bit of press on Emotional Freedom Techniques or Meridian Tapping lately. Apparently, this can help to lessen physical and emotional pain, can bring prosperity into your life, will help to lessen your fears of public speaking, snakes, heights, will help you lose weight, quit smoking, overcome insomnia etc, etc, etc, I wonder if this might offer some assistance to those who are grieving? Here is a you tube video describing the technique. Visit www.thetappingsolution.com and download their free e-book which talks about the technique in greater detail. If you give this a try, send me your feedback.

Here is a news report from ABC news regarding funeral webcasting. This is a new technology that will allow funerals to be broadcast over the internet. Friends and family unable to attend the funeral are able to watch the ceremony on the computer. Wonder if this will catch on?

I picked up this article courtesy of the Coach Broker News out of the United Kingdom. The idea of a funeral bus is not new. In fact, they have been used in large metropolitan centres, like New York City, for a number of years. Unfortunately, they have not really captured the interest of most funeral homes and their client families. I live not far from a little village that is popular for weddings. On Saturdays, this hamlet is bursting with wedding buses. With traffic becoming ever more challenging I think the time might be right to follow the lead of the wedding industry and bring back the funeral bus.

Here are some advantages:

environmentally friendly, as fewer vehicles travel in procession to the cemetery or crematorium

allows a large number of family and friends to travel together (people will not get lost or fall behind)

it might present a good opportunity for a tribute video or eulogy to be played/given while on board

refreshments could be made available

I’m not sure about a red double-decker … maybe something a little more subtle like a charcoal grey coach bus would be in order?

A funeral directors company based in Nottingham has launched an alternative mode of transport to the traditional hearse which is proving extremely popular.

The funeral firm have purchased a red double-decker bus which is available to hire for those who would like an alternative vehicle to the usual hearse.

One of the main advantages of the double-decker bus funeral vehicle is that the family can travel onboard the vehicle along with the coffin, which is a great comfort for some people.

Lymn Undertakers in Nottingham say their quirky funeral vehicle is proving extremely popular with clients in the area with the firm providing the double-decker bus for between 2-3 funerals a week.

The undertakers say they like to offer their clients the freedom to choose a funeral that suits their personal wishes, and which at the same time, preserves the memory of their loved one. Mr Lymn Rose from the funeral directors says his company always attempts to deliver a final send off which is tailored to their client’s wishes.

Last year we reported on the story of a 45-year-old woman from Sutton Coldfield who instructed her family to arrange a red London bus to transport her to her funeral before she sadly passed away. One of her main reasons for wanting a bus for her final journey was so she could travel with her loved ones.

If the demand for funeral buses continues, we could see more double-decker funeral vehicles on UK roads in the future.

The City of Toronto came to a standstill yesterday for the funeral of Sergeant Ryan Russell, a beloved member of the Toronto Police Service. Sergeant Russell was killed on January 12, 2010 by a man driving a stolen snowplow. The driver of the snowplow was apprehended and charged with first degree murder. Ryan Russell leaves behind his wife, Christine, their 2-year-old son, Nolan, his parents, Glenn and Lynda, and his sister, Tracy.

The full honours police funeral procession included officers on horseback, The Toronto Police Pipe and Drum Band, a shrouded police cruiser, and 12,000 police personnel from the Toronto Police Service and other police services from all over North America marching on foot. In the first video you will see that the Toronto Fire Service has provided a canopy for the procession as it makes its way through Toronto’s financial district. The second video provides footage from the entire procession. Torontonians, although perceived by much of Canada to be a heartless lot, came out in droves to honour this fallen officer and to bear witness to the human cost of public safety.

On a personal note, I was pleased to hear that colleagues at the Jerrett Funeral Home were looking after the Russell family. Funerals for fallen officers involve much pomp and ceremony and high levels of protocol. Sometimes the family can get lost in all these big plans. The Jerrett directors clearly remembered that their first responsibility was the grieving family and advocated as necessary to ensure that the wishes of the family were honoured. Yesterday’s funeral had a good balance of tributes for Ryan the husband, dad, son and friend, and Sergeant Russell, the fallen officer. It looked to me like both families, the Russell’s and the Toronto Police Services, were well served.

With Remembrance Day approaching, I wanted to talk about the Highway of Heroes.

Here’s the clinical definition:

The Highway of Heroes is a designated route used to transport the bodies of dead Canadian soldiers from the Canadian airforce base in Trenton, Ontario to the Coroner’s Office in downtown Toronto. Once in Toronto, a forensic examination is conducted after which the body is returned home for funeral services. All soldiers killed in action are required to be examined by the coroner in Toronto and as a result will travel the Highway of Heroes.

Here’s the important stuff:

Upon arrival at Trenton airforce base, the family of the soldier will join with a party of Canadian dignitaries to receive the casket from the aircraft. Together this small group will participate in a short service of remembrance. The family will then be escorted to a limousine(s) and together with the funeral coach carrying their loved one they will travel for 90 minutes to Toronto. Unlike the ceremonies that take place on the tarmac, the procession along the Highway of Heroes is public. The cortege is accompanied by a police escort and the route is cleared to allow for the procession to proceed unencumbered. Along the way the family will be supported by hundreds and thousands of Canadians who come out in droves to stand on guard, to share the grief, to take responsibility, to bear witness, and to offer thanks for this ultimate sacrifice. Here in Canada the death of one of our soldiers is taken very personally.